(Brooklyn, NY) – State Senate Majority Conference Leader John L. Sampson, Senators Velmanette Montgomery and Daniel Squadron, today announced that $15 million, over three years, in capital funds has been secured for the redevelopment of two facilities at the Brooklyn Navy Yard creating nearly 300 green collar jobs. Both projects will meet the highest standards of environmental design.

The projects include the adaptive reuse of three connected former WWII machine shops to create the 220,000 SF multi-tenanted Green Manufacturing Center. The Navy Yard has been at full capacity for five years and is home to a rapidly growing cluster of green manufacturers. The Green Manufacturing Center will add new space to meet the continuing strong demand of industrial businesses. The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) recently published a Green Business Directory highlighting the work of green manufacturers in the Yard (www.brooklynnavyyard.com).

Funding from the State Senate will also support construction of an exhibition and visitor center, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at Building 92 (BNYC92), through the adaptive reuse of the historic former Marine Commandant’s House and addition of a modern extension. BNYC92 will house an exhibit that celebrates the Navy Yard’s past, present and future including its current redevelopment as a national model for sustainable industrial parks.

“I am proud to join my colleagues in funding this venture, which will provide hundreds of jobs necessary to getting families back to work,” said Senator Sampson. “In addition to job creation, this project will serve as Brooklyn’s largest “green” manufacturing site, reducing the borough’s carbon print.”

“Thanks to the leadership of the State Senate Majority, particularly Conference Leader Sampson, the green transformation of the Navy Yard will be accelerated,” said Andrew H. Kimball, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, which manages the 300-acre industrial park on behalf of the City. “These projects will not only create more than 300 permanent green collar jobs, but will also provide inspiration for young people to pursue careers in sustainable industries or to start their own green business.”

“I am very pleased to join my colleagues today in saluting this investment in Brooklyn’s future,” said Senator Montgomery. “The jobs that will be generated by the buildings that will come from this investment will provide not only much needed employment but inspiration and hope for the families that live in this area and throughout Brooklyn.

“The Brooklyn Navy Yard represents the best that Brooklyn has to offer,” said Senator Squadron. “With its attention to both job creation and green development, the Navy Yard is a great model for a diverse, 21st century New York. That’s why I’m proud to be an enthusiastic supporter of the project.”

“The Brooklyn Navy Yard – already one of the most successful urban industrial parks in the nation – continues to grow as a center for green manufacturers,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Senators Sampson, Montgomery and Squadron recognize the opportunities that exist to capitalize on the Navy Yard’s past success and its potential for future development. The $15 million investment in the redevelopment of two facilities and creation of nearly 300 green jobs will pay enormous dividends as the Navy Yard continues to expand, and I thank the Senators for their leadership to help it succeed.”

“The Navy Yard plays a critical role in the economic life of Brooklyn and is an engine for local job creation,” said BNYDC Chairman Alan Fishman. “The capital funds made possible by the State Senate Majority will not only allow us to build state-of-the-art green facilities but most importantly to create quality local jobs.”

BNYDC will use $4.5 million of the State Senate funding to complete the base building construction for the $19.5 million BNYC92. The balance of capital funding includes $10 million from the NYC Council, $2.5 million from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and $2.5 million from the State Environmental Protection Fund. BNYDC has received lead private funding from the Brooklyn Community Foundation and a prestigious Planning Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities toward exhibition design and fabrication.

The project includes restoration of Building 92, an historic 150-year-old structure that served as the United States Marine Corps Commandant’s residence and a modern extension with leasable space, educational and community rooms, a rooftop café, special events space and a landscaped courtyard. Work will begin in mid-October on the 27,000-square-foot facility and be completed in mid-2011. BNYC92 will be built to LEED Platinum standards.

BNYDC will use $10.5 million in State Senate funding toward the $30 million, 220,000-square-foot Green Manufacturing Center. The LEED Silver-certified building will include one of New York State’s largest solar panel installations and will adaptively re-use the concrete foundations and steel frames of the three, connected late 19th century buildings. Construction will begin in Spring 2010 and is expected to take 18 months. The balance of construction funding will come from pending grants and private financing.

For both projects, BNYDC has set aggressive goals for minority and women-owned business participation (30 percent of the total project dollar value) and local workforce participation (25 percent from the surrounding zip codes).

Today’s announcement continues the rapid expansion already underway at the Brooklyn Navy Yard — its largest growth since WWII adding over 1.5 million square feet of new space and 2,000 jobs over the next two years. In April, Mayor Bloomberg opened the three-story, 89,000-square-foot Perry Building – the nation’s first multi-story green industrial facility – and announced plans for Duggal Greenhouse, a 60,000-square-foot green building that will be used to manufacture eco-friendly products. In addition, three more green buildings are in design and will begin construction during the next 12 months. Furthermore, a request for proposals is out seeking a developer for a retail center anchored by a large-format supermarket for a six-acre site on the Yard’s perimeter.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard is one of the most environmentally sustainable urban industrial parks in the nation. Currently, there are more than 30 green manufacturers at the Yard employing 350 people. Other sustainability initiatives underway at the Navy Yard include: creating more than $200 million in adaptive reuse projects to renovate historic Navy-built buildings for their original industrial intent; using green technologies for renovations and maintenance, such as Energy Star roofs and energy efficient windows and light bulbs; undertaking a major water/sewer project to upgrade the Yard’s aging infrastructure and improve water conservation; rebuilding the road system with improved stormwater management systems; installing more than 90 wind-solar street lamps that will save $600,000 on installation costs and $11,000 a year in electricity costs; purchasing hybrid and low-emission vehicles for the Yard’s fleet; installing solar-powered, compacting trash cans; purchasing eco-friendly paint and cleaning products; installing bicycle racks and lanes; and providing setbacks along the perimeter of Yard to enable the first phase of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The Administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has made a significant commitment to improving and modernizing the Yard’s infrastructure by allocating $200 million in City capital funding. The Yard’s existing four million square feet of space — currently consisting of 40 rentable buildings with more than 240 tenants — is 99 percent occupied.

About the Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard is owned by the City of New York and managed by the not-for-profit Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. BNYDC leases space in the Yard, promotes local economic development, develops underutilized areas and oversees modernization of the Yard’s infrastructure. The corporation’s board of directors is comprised of leaders of Brooklyn’s economic development community. Established in 1801, the Brooklyn Navy Yard served as one of America’s preeminent military facilities for more than 150 years. Closed by the federal government in 1966, the City of New York subsequently assumed ownership and re-opened the Yard as an industrial park.